I have a 2001 Taurus that just turned 100,000 km a couple of weeks ago. It was serviced 3 weeks ago (oil change, new oil filter, new air filter). My "check engine" light came on and stayed on today. What could the problem be?
by 
Anonymous
ANSWERS: 2
-
There is a rumor that some car companies set the check engine light to come on a 100,000. There are other things that start to come up, like vaccuum lines getting brittle and cracking. These are notoriously hard to track down. My Chrysler did the same thing. The code was for the evaporation system, which is the part of the pollution control system that prevent evaporation of gasoline from the tank. Four mechanics in two states have said it is likely a vaccuum line in that system that is cracked. Now, my Chrysler has a separate oil light, a separate temperature gauge and the engine light will flash if it becomes critical. I've had it checked four times and no one found anything wrong, so I've been driving it like that for over a year. My Fords never had that level of cross checking. The engine light was usually all they had, so I don't know that I would keep driving it like that. It could be overheating, the oil pump could have failed, there are a number of catastropic things that could be going on. Fords are known for cooling system problems.
-
I actually own an auto shop and an evap emission code is not a vacuum leak. This is a common code that comes on when there is a leaking gas cap, that light can turn on if the gas cap is not tightened properly even once. And yes it is true that manufacturers have set mileage intervals to make the check engine light come on just so you go have it all checked out.
RELATED QUESTIONS
Copyright 2023, Wired Ivy, LLC